When it’s a nice day outside, a good game of golf can be the perfect outdoor activity. Even though it’s not a contact sport, you can still find yourself feeling sore or being injured. From swing mechanics to precision putting, golf requires a lot of twisting and muscle control that can leave you post-game golf back pain.
To help you stay feeling great after your next round, we’re exploring four ways to help lower back pain after gold days so you can get back on the course.
What to Do About Lower Back Pain After Golf
After a long day of driving, putting, or working your way out of a sand trap (hey, it happens) the last thing you want to do is feel sore and miserable. Even the most experienced of golfers can feel lower back pain after golf, though. What can you do about it?
Despite the potential for lower back pain, golf is super fun and we know you want to get back out on the course. To help you do that, check out these ways to help lower back pain after golf days:
- Doing stretches and exercises for lower back pain after golf
- Practicing spinal decompression at home
- Getting a massage for golf back pain
- Applying heat therapy and cold therapy
Stretches and Exercises for Lower Back Pain After Golf
If you’re coming off the golf course and feeling pain in your lower back, doing some active stretches and targeted core-building exercises may help. These cooldown activities are what protects your range of motion and may help reduce the risk of Delayed Onset Muscles Soreness (DOMS).
Before and after your round of golf, lower back exercises to start with that may help alleviate back pain or tightness include:
- Seated forward curl stretch
- Side stretch
- Forward fold with a chair
Seated Forward Curl Stretch
The seated forward curl stretch is something you can do while still at the clubhouse after finishing up your round of golf. You may also want to periodically do these on a bench along the course to keep your back loose and potentially help prevent any injury, as well. The steps are simple and may help avoid muscle tension.
- Sit down on a chair or bench with your feet flat on the ground
- Slowly curl your neck, upper back, then lower back forward until your chest meets your thighs
- Hold this position for 10 seconds then slowly roll your body back into the starting position
- Repeat as necessary (we recommend 10 times total after a round of golf)
Side Stretch
After a round of golf, lower back exercises don’t get any easier than the side stretch. You do this stretch standing up, meaning you can do it before leaving the clubhouse and starting your way home. It’s beneficial to keep your back muscles loose and gently stretch the muscles after so much twisting from your golf swing.
- Stand up straight with your arms at your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart
- Bend the trunk of your body sideways to the left while sliding your left hand down your thigh
- While you’re doing this, reach your right arm over your head
- Hold this position for 10 seconds then return to the starting position
- Repeat for both sides as needed (w recommend 5 times for each side)
Forward Chair Fold
Last up in our after golf lower back exercises is the forward chair fold. This is also aimed at gently stretching those back muscles to avoid stiffness and soreness after a long round on the course. As you do this exercise while standing, it’s another easy option that you can do before getting back into your car.
- Stand facing the back of a chair or bench with your feet shoulder-width apart
- Grab hold to the back of the chair and take a step back until your arms are extended
- Slowly lower your upper body while keeping your back straight
- Continue moving downward until you feel the stretch in your armpits
- Hold this position for 30 seconds
- Repeat 2 to 5 times for optimal stretch
Spinal Decompression May Help Golf Back Pain
The next way to help lower back pain after golf that we’re taking a look at is spinal decompression at home. This can be especially helpful if you were walking the course and carrying your golf bag. Spinal decompression helps treat the effects of gravity as well as daily wear and tear on our spines to alleviate pain, reduce muscle tension, treat sciatica symptoms, and possibly even help with how to recover from sports injuries faster.
As the spine is gently stretched out from its compressed state, pressure is released from discs and taken off the nerves along the body. Spinal discs are able to rehydrate more efficiently as oxygen and nutrients are delivered to spinal tissue through better blood flow. This keeps a healthy back in good shape and may help with how to make golf back pain recover faster.
The post-game golf lower back pain exercises and stretches we mentioned may help with spinal decompression, but there are other methods you can do at home, as well. Some athletes have regular appointments with massage therapists, use massage chairs at home, or even take steps to facilitate spinal decompression while sleeping.
Getting a Massage to Help Lower Back Pain After Golf
If you’re experiencing lower back pain, golf may not be an activity you’re able to participate in. You don’t want to be off the course too long, though! Many athletes enjoy the benefits of massage therapy at home using a luxury massage chair as part of a post-workout recovery routine. They may help keep your body in peak condition and serve as excellent recovery tools for athletes.
Whether you’re wanting a Thai massage, a shiatsu massage, or deep tissue massage benefits, today’s models offer a variety of techniques to choose from to meet your needs. Top-of-the-line models may even have AI massage technology which uses two methods: to analyze your body and provide a personalized full body massage experience each time.
Other massage chair features like heat therapy and zero gravity reclining capabilities may also work to enhance spinal decompression to combat lower back pain after golf. These features reduce muscle tension and painful spasms while keeping the body loose and relaxed. This can be immensely beneficial after the torque required for your golf swing. In addition to these massage chair benefits for back pain, they have also been shown to improve your mood and help alleviate pain by increasing endorphins naturally.
Heat and Cold Therapy to Help Golf Back Pain
Last, but not least on our list of ways to help lower back pain after gold is the alternating application of cold and heat therapy.
Cold therapy may help reduce swelling and inflammation, alleviate pain, and prevent muscle spasms. If you’re feeling inflammation creeping in after a round of golf, start with a cold compress 4 to 8 times a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time. It’s important that you wrap any ice pack in a thin towel before applying it against your body as direct contact could be dangerous and cause damage to the skin beneath.
The benefits of heat therapy are great for improving circulation, enhancing bodily healing, and reducing swelling that may be painful. Heat therapy also dilates the blood vessels of the muscles surrounding the lumbar area. This increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, helping to heal the damaged tissue more quickly.
There are two types of heat therapy: dry and moist. For dry heat therapy application, consider using a heating pad at home on the affected area. If you’re using a massage chair for home massage benefits, consider a model that offers heat therapy features as a way to apply it to a larger area more efficiently. For moist heat therapy options, you might want to try using a sauna or taking a warm bath to relax the muscles in your and keep you loose.
We hope this guide has given you ideas for a few ways to help lower back pain after golf. Before you begin any home treatments for back pain, you should consult a doctor to ensure it's safe for you to do so. Whether you’re playing a friendly game or competing in a tournament, playing golf should be fun! Don’t let golf back pain occurrences keep you from playing your best.
Want to learn more about the benefits of owning a massage chair? Check out these resources to see how they may meet your needs and enhance your lifestyle:
- Top Massage Chair Benefits for Health Anyone Can Experience
- What is a 4D Massage Chair and Its Benefits?
- Benefits of Using a Massage Chair vs. Human Massage
- 5 Reasons Why You Need a Massage for Health & Wellness
